The AFL-CIO boosted Sen. John Kerry's campaign for the presidency with its endorsement Thursday, an endorsement that could be key to helping Kerry, D-Mass., win the Democratic primaries.
If the labor federation, which has more than 13 million members, backs its endorsement with active support, the endorsement could help Kerry stay ahead of Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C. Edwards lost the Wisconsin primary election to Kerry by less than 5 percent of the vote Tuesday.
Without active support the endorsement will do little to influence the primaries, but if the AFL-CIO commits energy and resources to help Kerry win the remaining primaries Kerry could reap multiple benefits, according to UW-Madison political science Professor Byron Shafer.
\They'll help him organize events, they'll help him with advertising among their own members and they'll probably do phone banks and get out the vote efforts,"" Shafer said. ""And they'll be doing all that on behalf of John Kerry. And if they do that it's worth a lot.""
Although Edwards turned more attention toward labor issues when he campaigned in Wisconsin, Shafer said, Kerry has focused on labor as a central issue since the beginning of his campaign.
""[Kerry] was talking about economy and jobs ... when Howard Dean was talking about Iraq and John Edwards was talking about the need for a politician from outside the beltway. And the AF of L looks at that and they say 'well neither of those does anything for our membership',"" Shafer said.
In addition to Kerry's focus on labor issues, the AFL-CIO was attracted to popular perceptions about Kerry's ability to beat incumbent President Bush, according to Don Eggert co-chair of Students for Kerry.
""I think the unions are looking at this and saying it's not enough just to support someone who is pro-union; we need to support someone who is pro-union and can definitely beat George Bush,"" Eggert said. ""And that person is Kerry.\
